It took a few days and I loved every word. While typically reading about addicts is a trigger for me due to my family history, this book was a perfect blend of sci-fi, mystery, and thriller. The characters were wrote perfectly. I loved the surprise twist of Haley/Jade.

HEADLINE NEWS:
Haley Banks, the world renowned singer, has died of apparent suicide from shooting heroin while inside a rehab facility!

Meg, Haley Banks’ sister, can’t believe what she’s seeing on the television. She hasn’t talked to her sister in years, but she knows in her heart that her sister would never commit suicide. Meg is struggling with her own drug addiction from a shoulder injury she sustained from work. She dulls the pain with oxy and liquor, but she’s also numbing the nightmares that creep inside her mind.

Meg knows that someone killed her sister, and the only way to investigate the truth is to admit herself into the rehab facility and seek the truth. There’s a lot of famous patients lurking inside and they’ll do anything to cover up the truth.

This was a creepy, locked room thriller that follows the lives of Meg and Cara. Cara is a caretaker inside the rehab facility that has been doing her own bit of investigating into the strange death of Haley, as well as, digging up the bizarre truth about the mastermind behind the facility.

Buckle up for this book because there are SO. MANY. TWISTS! Just when you think it’s over, the author surprises you with more intriguing secrets!

It's November, and I'll say that The Clinic by Cate Quinn is one of the best books I've read this year.

The Clinic is a top-tier thriller, with twists, turns, and celebrity intrigue. I was drawn to the backstory of every flawed character. This is the kind of book you could read in a day, but choose to savour because you don't want it to end.

The story is told through multiple POV and the transitions are very easy to follow. I loved the amount of action the story had and how the past actions of characters slowly get revealed. I seriously loved this book. I've added Cate Quinn's previous book, Black Widows, to my TBR because this one was so good.

Thank you to @bookmarked and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Clinic centers around Meg who works at a casino in Los Angeles. Meg’s life is vastly different than her famous actress sister Haley’s. Soon Meg starts seeing headlines and hearing rumors that her sister has died at a remote rehab facility located in the Pacific Northwest where she went to treat her addictions. In order to find out what happened to Haley, Meg decides to check herself into the rehab facility and investigate undercover. Secretly Meg is battling her own addictions and she quickly discovers that finding the truth will be much harder than she anticipated- especially since she's far away from anyone who can help her.

This is my first read by Cate Quinn and overall I found The Clinic to be an atmospheric, and entertaining thriller with a surprising twist. I loved how the book tackles mental health and delves deep into addiction. I did think that the book was a bit too long, if shortened it would have made a great popcorn thriller. But I do see a lot of readers really enjoying it and I would recommend it to those who enjoy a good thriller.

The Clinic by Cate Quinn will be available on January 23, 2024. Many thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the gifted copy!

This book has fairly short chapters so while the number of chapters may be daunting, it ends up being a really fast read. In part to the short chapters just one more! And in part due to the nature of the book.
I really wanted to know what mystery Meg was hiding from and what Haley had worked through before she died. I wanted to know who was responsible for Haley's death almost as bad as her sister. I liked the dual POVs between Meg and Cara, the manager of the clinic. It really helped build the suspense surrounding the mystery of whodunit and what is actually going on.
There are some things you may figure out but I'll tell you there's one twist that you'll be like what?!
There's not much else to say to keep this spoiler free, but if you're looking at this book, pick it up. The author hooks you very early on and while reading about addicts and withdrawals may be hard, I think it made the story...more. An incredible job.

I had a hard time getting through this one. What started with a lot of promise soon turned into having to overlook way too many glaring plot holes. So much is unrealistic.
Why didn’t Meg have a strip search at intake? And why are patients just allowed wander around as they please? Both of the narrators had very similar voices, so I found it hard to keep them straight. Overall, there was way too much going on, but none of it interesting enough to keep me engaged.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

I mean, really, kudos to the author for getting clean and sober. But this story was not for me. I struggled to keep the characters straight, the women just blurred together and sounded too much alike.

3.25☆

Unfortunately a dnf for me. I got 30% into this one and the premise is just so silly. I had high hopes for this one but it just wasn’t for me.

The Clinic is a mystery and thriller about a girl trying to solve the mystery of her older sisters murder. This book requires willing suspension of disbelief and if you can do that, it’s an entertaining read. If you can’t, it will annoy the pants off of you. From the earliest scenes everything is just so unbelievable from a female officer bringing her infant with her to investigate a crime scene to the literal last scene which in an effort of avoiding spoilers, I won’t disclose.

The book is told by two different narrators who sound identical. In fact all of the characters have such similar voices, it’s nearly impossible to distinguish them from one another. As for the two narrators, I didn’t see the point beyond giving the reader something to keep the story moving. The story by and large had nothing to do with Cara, the clinic caretaker (administrator?), but about half the story is told from her perspective and at the end, unbelievably, she departs from her carefully curated character completely and any scruples she had with the ethics of how things operated were forgotten or despised with no explanation. Meg herself gets a diagnosis in the latter part of the book that just kind of seems to happen to her and only after that are the symptoms revealed - it’s like the author just decided to give Meg have this diagnosis today. And it left me scratching my head a little. One of the characters is allegedly British nobility and without that detail, he might have been more believable. He was not believable as a Brit.

Truthfully, the story was fun and it didn’t take any amount of exertion on my part to want to read it. About 20% of the way into the story, you’re invested in the outcome and the chapters are short enough to make you want to keep going long into the night. It wasn’t a bad story. It just isn’t a story that will easily transport you into another world because it takes some effort to not get distracted by more unbelievable aspects throughout.

I’d like to thank Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fast pace book that I enjoyed so much more then I ever thought I would and now I need a physical
Copy of it

I absolutely enjoyed this book. I'd like to thank netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When I first read the about for The Clinic, I thought it was so intrigued and thought it was so unlike any book.

From the beginning this book held my interest. Please check your tw as this book talks about suicide and drug and alcohol use. It is often hard to believe when we hear a loved one commits suicide, so when Meg, who is an undercover agent hears the news of her sisters suicide while she was in rehab, she is determined to learn the truth. However, she must get through many webs to uncover the truth, and part of that is dealing with her own addiction.
This book had so many twists and turns and it was so enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Cate Quinn for this early release copy of The Clinic.

This story delves into addiction, mental health, and sobriety in a sensitive and appropriate way. Where other authors exploit these topics in a less than respectful way, Cate address her characters stories with care. Though I think The Clinic started a bit slow, I wasn’t complaining to have the foundation when things started to pick up halfway through. I think if you go in knowing it’s a bit of a slow burn start, you’ll be prepared to stick with it until it picks up!

Who can Meg trust in the clinic where her sister passed away. She’ll sneak in to find out what really happened to her sister and face her own demons in the process.

Shout out to Cate for shorter chapters. That always helps readers stay engaged! The good twists throughout the book also help… I definitely recommend The Clinic!

I was excited when NetGalley approved me to read Cate Quinn’s The Clinic. It shouldn’t have taken me so long to finish it, but I was struggling to keep at it when I read the first few chapters. I’m a thriller fan, so when the first few scenes seemed to read more like a crime story, I began reading in fragments. I’m not a huge fan of reading crime stories, but I don’t hate them either, so I kept pushing. I also found Meg to be unlikable, which makes sense since it’s a common go-to response toward an addict that has burned their bridges. So, the fact that I felt genuine empathy for Meg as the novel progressed really spoke on the ability of the author. Once I crossed the threshold of slow reading, I couldn’t put the book down. I enjoyed seeing how the different elements in The Clinic came into play, such as addiction, psychological trauma, and emotions. I commend Quinn for not taking the obvious route when it came to the man with the fedora hat. It would’ve been too easy to make Meg’s trauma centered on it, but I, unfortunately, found the truth of the man on the fedora lacking. Almost rushed even. I didn’t think his presence was enough and what seemed like a central figure in Meg and Haley’s life became almost a passing thought of a person. I was caught off guard at the big reveal toward the end, which was nicely done. Sometimes things seemed to be too neatly tied up to avoid loose ends, but that’s my opinion. I read that this was Quinn’s first novel she wrote sober, and I applaud that. This is my first time reading anything by her, and this one was definitely a four-star worthy work.

Wrecked and near ruin.

Chemicals and alcohol drain every ounce of hope......until a tiny flame reignites.

Meg knows it first hand. She's an undercover scam detector working in L.A.'s Luckie's Casino. Meg throws back shots and has a hidden stash of oxy in deep-set pockets. But she's driven to play her own poker hand at the tables. Most times she wins big.......except that one time when the bad guys were seeking revenge. That oxy is for the pain inflicted physically and emotionally.

News reaches Meg that her singer/celebrity sister, Haley, had been found dead at a luxury addiction rehab clinic. She and Haley had been estranged for years. They both live in the remnants of a highly abusive mother. But Meg knows that she has to find out exactly what happened to Haley.

Her plan: Voluntarily commit herself to the exact same rehab clinic where Haley was at. The clinic claimed that Haley committed suicide. Meg knows it's a lie. She informs her casino partner, Harry, and enters into a point of almost no return. Stuff is happening here with questionable inmates and a doctor with questionable methods. Will Meg survive?

The Clinic swung back and forth from 3 Stars to 4 Stars. This is a very involved read with many characters to keep track of. But you stick with it to find out what actually happened to Haley. I questioned Meg's ability to get away with concealed contraband for so long undetected. The passages and events are long and tedious at times. As you get to the end, you'll find that this book was based on the author's own experience in rehab. I just wish that she would have stuck with more believability throughout. Either way, The Clinic is an encounter you won't soon forget.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and to Cate Quinn for the opportunity.

Whoooaaaa!!!! What did I just read?!? The twists and turns in this book had me hanging on until the end. This is a great book and it’s really neat that this is the first book that the author wrote sober. That alone to me deserves a star. I will admit the beginning of this book starts slow and at times it was a struggle to push through but I’m so glad that I did. Meg is a character you love to hate dealing with lots of demons but in the end she grows on you and you’re rooting for her until the very end. I definitely recommend this one and am thankful for the ARC through NetGalley. Add this one to your shelf you won’t be disappointed.

WOW! I have no words, except that this book literally took me by STORM!

The story takes place in a rehab clinic (which I don’t feel like I’ve read many books in this setting), and is told from two POV’s.
Meg, who is required to be there, is a patient who seeks to figure out why her celebrity sister is really dead, and then we have Cara, who is the manager of the facility.

The author's approach to mental health awareness, addiction and especially sobriety, made the story even more realistic (especially to someone such as myself who struggles with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues).

It felt like a slow burn, because it was a little hard to get into.
However, the ending was literally everything and I would re-read it again in a heartbeat!

Narrated by Meg and Cara, this is a twisted tale of a shady rehab on the coast of the Pacific Northwest. Cara is the manager of the rehab or The Clinic. The Clinic caters to very high-profile clients with severe addictions. Because they are 'celebrities', the treatments are to be kept secret and the clinic is shrouded in mystery.

Meg, well, Meg is a mess. She's a professional poker player. She's also a professional drug addict and a plant by the casino to root out the seedy loan sharks who are taking advantage of vulnerable clients. Meg is also the daughter of a Hollywood star and the sister of Haley, a famous country star.....who is in The Clinic.

When Meg is notified that Haley has died while at The Clinic, she has the sense that something isn't quite right, so she heads there herself.....but she must first confront her own addictions before confronting Haley's murderer.
------
Well...., Here we are. The Clinic had a TON of potential but was a little too bogged down in science and twists. I think there were too many side characters and a bit too much of a focus on Cara and Max than was necessary. Had both of those characters been cut out and the focus just been on Meg and more of the science had been streamlined, it could have been fantastic.

The exploration of sister relationship was fantastic, but I do wish there was more about Mr Priest and about the relationship with their mother as there was clearly something there. It felt like parts of the backstory was missing.

In any case, I still enjoyed this thriller from Cate Quinn.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the copy of The Clinic by Cate Quinn. I’m not sure why the writing didn’t grab me, but I was bored for much of the beginning. I liked the intrigue of the notes Meg got, but I’m not sure if they added to the story. Near the end events became completely unrealistic, so if you can suspend belief you will enjoy the reveals. I think if you love surprise endings and unreliable narrators you will love this book, it just was just okay for me.

I’m going to get right to it, can you say- HOLY PLOT TWIST?! Super enjoyable and believable novel, I couldn't put it down. Loved the setting of the PNW, she nailed this and it made it feel like home. Will definitely recommend to family and friends once it is released!

This creepy, dark, psychological thriller is set in a luxury drug rehabilitation facility located in a remote setting in the Pacific Northwest. Meg works undercover in a Los Angeles casino catching cheaters. When she hears that her famous sister, Haley, has died by apparent suicide in a remote rehab facility, Meg is driven to check in to the facility to battle her own addiction and find out the truth about Haley's death. .

The story is told from the perspectives of two characters, Meg, and Cara, the clinic manager. Meg checks in to the clinic and we take a wild, twisty ride with her through some disturbing situations. I was pleased that the author did not portray mental illness and addiction in the tired, stereotypical manner, but instead, deftly distinguished moral character from mental illness and addiction. The characters' unique personalities, back stories, and individual struggles add intrigue and mystery to the story.

I found the first half of the book slow and wordy with the second half being much better paced. However, the ending felt very rushed. Overall I feel the book could be shortened by a third without loss of significant material. There are multiple twists and turns that kept my interest. I had to suspend believe for much of the ride, but it was intriguing all the same.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Cate Quinn for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.